


There Was A Star Danced

by accio_spaceman



Category: Monte Carlo (2011), Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger! (2012), SuperBob (2015), Tatennant - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Masquerade Ball Au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-26
Updated: 2017-01-26
Packaged: 2018-09-20 02:48:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9472187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/accio_spaceman/pseuds/accio_spaceman
Summary: Meeting at a Masquerade Ball, for "imnotacommittee" on Tumblr.





	

It wasn’t often Theresa got the chance to help organise a costume party, and even less often that she got to attend one. In fact, unless you counted the Halloween parties when she was growing up – the kind where wearing all black and attaching a sock to your rear end was considered a ‘cat’ costume – this was her first one.

She tugged slightly at the skirt of her dress. She loved her cousin, Alicia, but why had she let her insist on dressing her in frills? She hated frills. Her slight fatigue after a day of helping her cousin with the final preparations was making her contact lenses dry beneath her mask, and her bodice was making it hard to breathe properly.

She didn’t recognise any of the people swirling past her as she stood back from the edge of the dance floor, although she supposed that was rather the point of it being as masquerade ball.

 

Deciding to grab a drink and sit down for a while, she took a step backwards, only to crash into someone stood directly behind her.

“Oh! I’m so sorry!”

“I should think so! To think I was about to compliment you on how elegant you looked!”

Theresa felt her jaw drop open in disbelief.

Was he serious? She knew from past experience that some of Alicia’s _“friends”_ could be a bit snooty, but she’d never encountered such unabashed rudeness before. Surely she’d misheard him?

“Excuse me?”

“You do know how much this suit cost?”

She ran her eyes over his suit. If it wasn’t for the Dracula mask and the slicked back hair he could have been at any other – well, any other posh black-tie event.

She self-consciously smoothed the skirt of her replica Marie-Antoinette-style costume. For once she was grateful for her wide hips, as they’d enabled her to convince Alicia that she didn’t need a skirt hoop as well as the stiff card already sewn into the dress.

“I already apologised! What more do you want?”

“Clearly you don’t share the grace of your lady whose costume you imitate. You haven’t a clue how to conduct yourself in such elite social circles!”

Theresa squinted at him, marginally frustrated that her mask hid her incredulous expression. Seriously, who talked like that? He sounded like he’d fallen straight out of an Austen novel!

“Yeah, well, perhaps I don’t, but there’s no reason to be so rude about it!”

She span on her heel, ignoring his attempt to call after her as she swiftly weaved her way toward the bar.

 

“Red wine, please.” She requested, grateful that she was the only one there and that she hadn’t had to queue.

Or at least she was, until a dark figure suddenly materialized next to her.

“Allow me.” He gently reached over her, paying for her drink before she could protest.

She turned to stare at him.

He cleared his throat awkwardly.

“I apologise. I was rude. That was not my intention, you caught me off guard. Sorry.”

Theresa’s indignation faded, amazed that he’d been big enough to apologise for his admittedly abominable behaviour.

“Yeah, well.” Her eyes shifted awkwardly. “Thanks for the drink. You didn’t have to do that.”

“It was my pleasure.”

 

The both stood in an awkward silence for several seconds before the gentleman spoke again.

 

“Before. That is, before, when I came up to you, I was going to ask you, um… Will you dance with me?”

Theresa barely stopped her jaw from dropping for a second time that evening. This man was just full of surprises! But she had to admit, she was oddly charmed by his formal, awkward demeanour, despite his angry words just a few short minutes ago.

“Okay.” She replied softly. It wasn’t as if anyone else had asked anyway.

 

Five dances later, they stumbled off the edge of the dance floor, laughing and clutching at each other to stay upright in their hysteria.

“And, and she actually-“

“Yes!”

“Oh!”

 

Several minutes later, Theresa broke their now-companionable silence.

“I must admit, I was quite worried that I wouldn’t find anyone to talk to tonight! Whenever I’ve hung out with Alicia’s friends before they’ve all been so stuffy!”

Underneath his mask, Theresa’s companion frowned momentarily. Did she include him in this criticism? He vaguely remembered seeing her a few times before at similar occasions, but he couldn’t recall if they’d ever actually been introduced.

“Have you, um…” He started, trying to sound nonchalant. “Have you met Roderick Peterson?”

“Oh, the composer? Yes! Do you know him?”

“Erm, ye- yes, we have met.” He replied, trying not to sound awkward as he tried to deny his intrigue as to her response.

“Oh, isn’t he just awful? He was at Alicia’s New Year’s Party last year; I don’t think he touched a single drink all night! And every time anyone tried to talk him he just turned his nose up at them! So arrogant. Oh, I wonder if he’s here tonight – I’d hate to run into him!”

Roderick paled slightly behind his mask. He remembered that night well.

It was barely a week after he’d been fired from his latest conducting job – apparently he’d made one too many of the musicians cry from his critisms – and he’d much rather have been at home working on the composition that had been taunting him for the last month, but Alicia had made him promise to put in an appearance, convinced that he was shutting himself up too much.

Even he had to admit he’d been rather… Disagreeable that evening.

“Yes, yes, quite.” He murmured distractedly. “How do you know Alicia?”

 

He spent the rest of the evening half-listening to Theresa talk about everything and anything, enjoying the musicality of her voice even while he failed to absorb any of the actual words.

 

They were taken by surprise when they were interrupted just after two am.

“Excuse me, sir, madam, I’m sorry but we’re closing now.”

They blinked around in surprise to find that all the other guests had vanished, and only the waiters were left bustling around, taking instructions from Alicia, who was stood near the far corner of the room looking extremely flustered.

“Oh, sorry!”

The waiter nodded to them as they hastily began to gather their things together.

“Oh, and I promised Alicia I’d help with all this as well! Oh I hope she’s not too annoyed.”

“I’m sure she won’t be. Alicia couldn’t hold a grudge against a fly.”

“You’d be surprised.” Theresa raised her eyebrow, one name in particular flashing across her mind.

“Anyway. I, erm, I had a really great time tonight.”

“Me too.” He smiled.

“You never told me, who are you? What’s your name?”

He cleared his throat awkwardly. Should he reveal himself? Or would that ruin his chance of furthering his acquaintance with this wonderful lady? He didn’t want to do anything that might jeopardise their blossoming… something.

“Does it matter? I’m still the same person you’ve met tonight, whatever my name is.”

“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

“Indeed.”

“Well then, I’ll have to content myself with looking forward to Alicia’s next event.”

“I assure you it will be equally anticipated on my part. Until then.”

Theresa stifled a gasp as her mystery partner bent low over her hand, barely brushing his lips over it before rising and turning abruptly. He was gone before she even caught her breath.

“Farewell.” She whispered.


End file.
